Turner County herald. (Hurley, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1887-05-12
WASHINGTON LETTER.
rom our Reculart t,orrespouden,.
IoIH "ut 1teS,'tts6z SVI VIfS.sPOuuVIv'
WASHINGTON, MAY. 9, 1881

in praise of their southern trip to at
tend the unveiling of the Calhoun
statue. The orator of the occasion,
Secretary Lamar, has been afflicted
with neuralgic ailments since his re-
turn, but he is none the less charmed
with the center of earthquakes and its
people. TO some of the party Charles
ton was an old acquaintance, but with
the postmaster general, secretary of
the treasury and Senator VOORHEES, it
was first visit and they fell fairly in
love with the delicious atmosphere,
royal hospitality and fine people of the
old city. Mr.. Villas remarked that he
was prepared to find very superior peo-
pie in that aristocr;ttic old southern
stronghold, but that he was quite sur
prised to find such general high tone
prevailing among large portion of the
population.
Equally delighted with the national
capital will be the thousands of visitors
who will flock here during the present
month. OF course these crowds of
strangers from every part of the United
States will expect no hospitable favors
such as were heaped in profusion on
the distinguished Charleston guests.
They will have to look out sharply for
their own breakfasts and lunches and
dinners and beds. But they will see
the most beautiful city in the world in
the month of flowers, and they can
have glorious time in many ways. for
Washington is more than "a thing of
beauty" 1t is by far the most interest
ing city in America, as well.
1t is to be regretted that the elevator
in the Washington Monument will not
be in active operation during the ma
tional drill. when so many sight-seers
will be in the city. But instead of be-
ing lifted rapidly through the shaft
they will be compelled to tramp up and
down five hundred feet OF iron stair
way by the light of candles held by
themselves. The arrangements are
complete for lighting the interior of
the monument with seventy-fve in
cendescent electric lights, with which
the effect is very striking. The electric
lighting plant was provided for by the
appropriation for completing the monu-
ment, as was also the elevator, but
there is need of more congressional
legislation and another appropriation
before either can be put into regular
operation.
The monument was lighted at its
dedication. but few persons knew it, as
but few entered the monument on that
occasion. Since then it has only been
lighted for testing purposes, and once
when in honor of Mrs. Cleveland, who
made trip to the top. The lights are
at the stairway landings, and are fast
ened to brackets extending from the
iron framework in the center of the
shaft. The effect is very striking as
one looks up the shaft from the bottom
and sees these brilliant lights on alter
nate sides, extending all the way to the
ooPy uAAi illluhblf
entire interior of the structure.
Workmen have placed the memorial
stones in the panels prepared for them
in the interior of the monument, all the
way up, and the inscriptions on them
show with perfect distinctness in the
electric lights. When some of the ce-
ment was taken out in fitting in some
OF these stones, it was found to be as
solid as the marble surrounding it.
Curiosity seekers think they ought not
leave Washington without having been
TO the top of the highest structure in
the world built by the hands of man,
and although the past winter was un-
usually inclement and unsuitable for
such excursions, about two thousand
people trudged up the winding stair
way to its dizzy height during each
month.
They have been very busy at the Ma
tional Museum during the week trying
to get the Grant relics placed on exhi-
bition before the national drill begins.
The task is nearly completed, and the
cases already exhibited have attracted
much notice. Five cases will contain
the whole collection except the paint
ings and large objects which cannot be
put into cases. Many of these articles
are souvenirs of Gen. Grants trip
around the world. There is splendid
collection Of old japanese coins of huge
size valued at So, 600. There are swords,
gold headed canes, caskets, medallions,
rare woods. silver plate and sparkling
gems which vie with each other to at
tract the eye. There are invitation
cards, menu cards, reminders of enter
tainments given in his honor, embossed
on gold plates. One invitation to a.
masked ball given at San Francisco,
upon Gen. Grants arrival in that city,
on his return from his famous tour, is
engraved on solid gold, and was en-
closed in a silver envelope with the ad-
dress engraved upon it. In the right
hand corner is two cent stamp, and in
the left, the usual. 1t not delivered in
ten days, return to, ETC. There is a
casket carved from the wood of Shak-
speare's mulberry tree, and many othor
| articles that have q value by aSSOcia-